Sunset over Riddleport, home to pirates and theives, intersection of sea and mountains, crossroads of Shoanti, elf, and Varisian cultures, long shadows stretch from the Calphiak Mountians over the city to expire on the ridge east of town. Above the sky is still a rich blue and the clouds gleam white. To the south the harbor is a metallic grey, lightening as it sweeps through the arch of the Cyphergate to the horizon until it rivals the azure sky. Even the Blot, the dark cloud that has hung over the city for months is gone today.

At zenith a star blossoms, barely visible, small, only as bright as the moon, but growing rapidly in brightness and intensity. In a heartbeat it's as big as the sun and as bright and it seems inevitable that it must impact Riddleport. Another heartbeat and it's angling south of Riddleport. It disappears for an instant behind the Cyphergate then strikes the ocean on the horizon between the legs of the great arching artifact. A plume of dust rockets skyward.

The wind slowly tugs at the top and middle of the plume, spinning it out into a gauzy brown lace across the face of the clouds.

A crowd soon gathers on the waterfront. People are staring out at the sea and starting to talk about the great falling star and what it might portend when they are treated to new wonders. With a sudden rising motion the ground shakes. A massive thunder-like boom cuts through the dull rumble of the earthquake. The water level in the harbor drops rapidly. Many ship's keel ground. Below the oldest docks a massive hoary bunyip is left exposed on the mud and rock bottom as are many fish. Water stands in the main channel but the shallows are left bare.

Bunyip - like a leopard seal on steroids.

Know(nature) DC 20:

Spoiler:

The sudden retreat of water out of the harbor is the prelude to a massive wave.

A meteorite lands on an island south of Riddleport and the race for the valuable sky-metal is on.

We're looking for one, two, or three players for Children of the Void , the second chapter of the Second Darkness AP. I'll be running the game as a oneshot.

The adventure is basically a treasure hunt. The current party consists of druid, wizard, and barbarian. Meet them here.

Please post submissions in this thread. Rough concept, motivation, and background are all that are required. Player's Guide or PRD content only, although special requests may be entertained if you leap through enough hoops.

Character generation - 3rd level, 1 trait, Wealth appropriate to level. (Could someone look up the number?) 20 point buy or roll 4d6 six times keeping best three and arrange them in order desired. (Floor for rolling is an equivalent 16 point buy.) Max HP at first level. Roll thereafter, there is a floor for hit points of about 25% of max for levels above first.

Given this is a one shot starting at level three let's give item creation feats a miss, but we'll work out something for any wizards. Also I have it in for Rapid shot and Multishot. They have higher prereqs than RAW. There won't be much opportunity to exercise Leadership.

Feel free to ask for clarification of any of my rather foggy, ill-worded house rules.

If you want to bring in other rules material, you may present it, we'll discuss it and I will consider it. I may allow it without reservation or provisionally with intent to playtest and possibly nerf it later. I may just say "NO!"

Keliwyn strides the broad avenue of Marshal's Way. He is late for the dinner with Darthen and his other new companions in arms, detained by Silas Masani, a low-grade contact who always has "the best tip" to sell, but whose information is seldom accurate, but spectacularly good occasionally. Perhaps he makes it up when he needs money and doesn't have real news to sell. This evening's offering was the presence of a new gang of assassins in town, as if the Cerulean Society, Korvosa's sole crime syndicate would allow competition. Keliwyn made the customary assurance that he would check it out and get back to him if the information was worth anything.

The elf turns down Griffon's Lane and his shadow stretches down the hill in front of him. Six or seven more blocks and he'll be able to relax among friends.

The sending is characteristically terse. Keliwyn, come to Bower House immediately. The ambassador calls.

Modifying your background just a hair, Neil. The rebel group you're in contact with isn't interested in weapons yet, but you have done some work with them. Mostly pretty tame stuff, lookout, bagman, that sort of thing. Your rebel handler is Janiven. She's attractive, and dresses like a warrior, but she talks more like a civic booster than a real rebel. It seems the goals of the rebels are to help the people take care of themselves and return the city to a cleaner more ethical government. Armed rebellion is not on the table yet, but that would be a very dangerous thing to talk about directly. Your assignment this evening is to come to a recruitment meeting, pretend to be a new recruit and watch Janiven's back in case one of the recruits is an Imperial or Hellknight plant. Be at Vizio's Tavern at about 4 pm.

Raevanis:

Spoiler:

You've been in touch with a rebel group for several weeks now. You have done some work with them. Mostly pretty tame stuff, lookout, bagman, that sort of thing. Your rebel handler is Janiven. She's attractive, and dresses like a warrior, but she talks more like a civic booster than a real rebel. It seems the goals of the rebels are to help the people take care of themselves and return the city to a cleaner more ethical government. Armed rebellion is not on the table yet, but that would be a very dangerous thing to talk about directly. Your assignment this evening is to act as lookout during a recruitment meeting. You are stationed a block from Vizio's Tavern (an often used rebel meeting place) watching the two main streets that approach the tavern.

Marrius and Waifrin:

Spoiler:

For the last week or so a woman named Janiven has been popping up in your life. She's attractive, and dresses like a warrior, but she talks more like a civic booster, people in the city should have more freedom, government should be less corrupt. After a few innocent conversations, she's given the impression that she and some friends would like to see a change. A cleaner government, untainted by greed and diabolicism. Basic rights and freedom guaranteed the common people. After carefully guaging your reactions she invites you to a 4 pm dinner at Vizio's Tavern to meet some friends in two days. Please spoiler any actions you might take in the intervening days. Post your entry into the tavern in the clear.

Mother Vangelis:

Spoiler:

hogarth, making a slight addition to your background. Mother Vangelis has already had one showdown with the shadow beasts that stalk the city at night. She saved a young boy who got caught out too late and was attacked by one of the creatures, pulling him into her daughter's house. Hope you don't mind. Shortly after that you met a young woman named Janiven in the market. She's attractive, and dresses like a warrior. She asked you about the experience and told you that if you were interested in trying to prevent such a thing from ever happening again and convincing the government to take more of an interest in the common folk, to come to a 4 pm dinner at Vizio's Tavern in two days. Please spoiler any actions you might take in the intervening days. Post your entry into the tavern in the clear.

Zarabeta:

Spoiler:

For the last week or so a woman named Janiven has been popping up in your life. She's attractive, and dresses like a warrior, but she talks more like a civic booster, people in the city should have more freedom, government should be less corrupt. After a few innocent conversations, she's given the impression that she and some friends would like to see a change. A cleaner government, untainted by greed and diabolicism. Basic rights and freedom guaranteed the common people. After carefully guaging your reaction she invites you to a 4 pm dinner at Vizio's Tavern to meet some friendsin two days. Please spoiler any actions you might take in the intervening days. Post your entry into the tavern in the clear.

Ran an encounter at low levels against undead. The cleric channelled, and rolled well. So far everything is great.

But when looking up effects I ran into a few questions. First, in the channeling description, does "30' burst" mean diameter or radius? Second, undead failing their save flee for x rounds. Great but details? Did they get the frightened condition? What if the rooms walls or a hazard block their flight? Would they flee into a fiery chasm? Do they cower as in 3.5? If they can't flee and the cleric closes to melee range do they snap out of it as in 3.5?

Morning comes to the Grey district of Korvosa, and with it time to rest. The clergy of Pharasma gathers in the Dawn Hall after a sleepless vigilant night. Such nights are not uncommon for those entrusted with insuring the dead are not disturbed from their eternal peaceful sleep, but three such nights in a row is uncommon.

Stannus assumes the chair at the head of the table in Bishop d'Bear's stead. There are mutters of annoyance, resentment, even loathing, among the clergy. For him to do so three mornings in a row is also uncommon. What can be keeping d'Bears so long at the King Eodred's sickbed?

As usual when Stannus presides, the ritual reading is brief The day's inspirational sermon, even more so. Assignments and business for the day quickly become the primary topic. The Pharasmen break up to sleep or attend their duties as directed. As usual when Stannus presides, the Temple feels more like a barracks.

Stannus is a conundrum to most of the community. He does not approach the faith with the equinamity usual in Pharasma's devotees, but instead has an overriding mission to seek out and destroy the undead. He is nearly fanatical in this. During d'Bears infrequent absences, the temple does indeed become something of a military camp organized against the dead that walk to the diminuation of the other aspects of Pharasma, comfort in grief, healing, and new life.

Having been given no instructions, Istas assumes she is free to seek out her pallet and rest. She rises from her meal and is turning to leave when Stannus speaks, "Shote girl." (Shoanti girl, Stannus is an uncommonly arrogant Chelaxian.) "Round up two noobs and make a sweep of the Potters Ward. There was movement down there last night, but Lily couldn't pin it down."

In creating charcters with the pathfinder rules, I do like the streamlined skill system. Class skills get a +3 modifier; cross class skills don't. It's simple and gets you about where the old system probably did anyway.

But I feel constrained by the limited number of skills available at first level. I like a wide range of skills reflecting the character's history to date at first level. Therefore I propose the following change:

You get twice as many skills at first level as on the others.
Class skills get a +2 modifier.
You can put a number of ranks equal to your level+1 into a skill.

I think it widens the choices at first level, is still simple, and keeps the same limits as Jason's system. One downside is abuse by players seeking to get as many +2 modifiers as possible.

Hi, my group is just finishing up a long intro and preparing to start CoCT proper. We've had a couple players drop out and the group could use a little more spell power. Its my first PbP and I'm learning a lot about running a game this way, I hope. The players are a great group of guys. Posting frequency is running a little less than 1/day with slow weekends.

Korvosa wakes under a leaden sky. A muggy heat drives night's coolness away by noon. To the north a light rain is falling, cooling the wretches of Thief Camp. By noon some Korvosan's are even a bit jealous, but they can not command the weather.

Welcome. And thanks for hanging with me. Posting will be difficult for me until after Christmas, that's why the January start date in the initial post. Losing the long post last Thursday or Friday was very depressing, too. I've been thinking about my idea with your characters in mind. I'll need to make some changes to fit your characters better. That's cool.

I couldn't get working email from my friend the arcane caster, but that seems to be resolved now. Got to get him signed onto the boards here.

Let me grab the first character I see and start reviewing. Please talk about your ideas of Korvosa based on the little teasers Paizo has put out.

Oh. And even if your character is statted up, you're not done yet. Please take 6 skill points and put them into a useless knowledge, profession, or craft skill or two. Just for additional flavor. Hopefully I'll be able to work it into the game.

Who's interested in a PbP set in Korvosa? Start with a home-brew side-trek then roll into Curse of the Crimson Throne. I'll tend to emphasize role-playing and character interaction because it will help make up for rusty DM skills.

4 to 6 players. Two spots already reserved. One for a friend of mine in his first PbP. He's thinking arcane caster. Another for TheOcho, who might be thinking urban ranger or some such.

Details, details. Core books/SRD only to start. Other options possible by special arrangement, but unlikely. I'll be trying to post daily during the work week, infrequently on weekends, and would like the same commitment from the players. I travel fairly freqently on business though so there will be short announced gaps in my posting schedule. Play to start in January, but I'll want player concepts (not full stats, history and equipment)before Christmas so I can customize my sidetrek to the characters.